RAW + REAL TALK | BODY POSITIVITY
LETTERS FROM A STYLIST // may 2021
our sacramento stylist clarisse shares heartfelt thoughts about why it’s important to love yourself even when it feels difficult.
WHAT IS BODY POSITIVITY?
body positivity (bp) can mean something different for each and every person. however, at its core, bp is all about loving and accepting yourself including what you may consider to be “imperfections” or “flaws”. the bp movement has derived from its earliest origins in the 1960’s, which put an end to fat shaming and began promoting plus size bodies in mainstream media. today, bp is a social movement which has expanded to emphasize the acceptance and positive portrayal of marginalized bodies, including plus size, colored, disabled, non-cis, and older bodies. it was popularized in the early 2000’s where corporations used the theme of bp, plus size models, and/or models of non western beauty standards for adverts. this was around the same time that i was exposed to the concept of bp. although i was young at the time, it was something subliminal i was being exposed to. bp is popular and common in the media, especially, instagram, youtube, blogs, and pretty much any platform you can think of.
our company approach
when i first applied at a&bé, an ad popped up on my instagram for a bridal stylist in the sacramento area. as clicked on the link, i was taken to a&be’s website. almost immediately i was greeted with a simple message, inclusivity. browsing the web page, i clicked on the babes on a mission blog and read that a&bé as a company donates a portion of the proceeds from each dress to a charity that supports and empowers women. as i read more about each and every one of the charities that a & be supports, i knew almost immediately that i would love to support a company that stands by their core values. i drafted up my cover letter and resume that night, and i couldn’t wait to hear back. now, being a stylist with a whopping 3 months of experience, *i know, amazing, right?*, i feel as though i couldn’t be more lucky that that instagram ad had popped up when it did. working in the sacramento shop, i am surrounded and supported by amazing women, my coworkers who i get to work with on a daily basis. not only do each and every one of us come from differing backgrounds with differing perspectives, we each bring something valuable and different to the table, and i’m proud to say that is something that a&bé values.
from the ceo down to the stylists, i can feel that inclusivity is invaluable for each member of the company, especially when it comes to our brides, and body positivity. since the start of my time working for a & be, negative self talk, or negative talk of another’s body hasn’t been supported, instead we aim to push difficult or even comfortable conversations towards a positive perspective. we authentically and truly believe that all bodies are beautiful bodies! we proudly offer plus sizes in our stores, and support brands that offer plus sizing for our brides. in addition we are constantly pushing for more and more inclusivity in terms of sizing.
— clarisse
EVERY BODY MATTERS
although i myself value body positivity and am proud to work for a company that values it as much as i do, i struggle with viewing my body in a positive light on a daily basis, which i’m sure many others can relate to as well. although many of us receive our body positivity content from social media such as instagram and other platforms, we are also exposed to unrealistic beauty and body standards on a daily basis. in this way, media can be thought of as a double edged sword; it can be used to promote body positivity, however it can also be used to promote unrealistic and unattainable standards or something that just flat out doesn’t look like you and simply will never look like you! when the media has one image of what is beautiful, and we don’t necessarily have the same characteristics of that image, it can be quite difficult to love and accept our own bodies and traits and think of them as beautiful. this is why it is so important to make a conscious and mindful effort of practicing body positivity on an everyday and real life basis, not only with yourself, but those you meet on a daily basis. self love can be a hard habit to develop, but it is exactly that, a habit. i once read it’s just like brushing your teeth, you need to remember to do it on a daily basis!
so, where do i start?
now that you’re educated on the ins and outs of body positivity, the most important first step to take in loving yourself and that gorgeous body of yours is to always remember to be kind to yourself. being body positive and practicing self love in all of its forms is a daily struggle and battle. it’s not a magic light switch that one can turn on, and magically start to love one’s body including all of its “flaws” and imperfections. it is a choice that one makes everyday, to affirm themselves that their body is beautiful. daily affirmations are a great way to remind yourself to love and your body on a daily basis, and get in the habit of self-love!
a note from a&bé:
at the core of everything is our brides and in an effort to make every babes' experience beyond amazing (cause that’s what you damn well deserve) we want to get raw + real about our current collection’s size inclusivity. though clarisse touches on our continuous effort to offer and support bridal brands that create for all bodies, we know going into more detail about our current collection, not just our ongoing efforts, is important as your shopping experience is highly dependent on what we have in store.
sizing can vary significantly between designers & our locations. to better communicate these variances, each shops' overall size range and designer size range can be found at our location pages. | austin | boise | dallas | denver | minneapolis | portland | raleigh | sacramento | seattle |
if you’re interested in a certain dress, please reach out to your local shop for their sample's details including sizing and fit. we’re here to help, guide, & get you to that badass dress of your dreams.